Jeremiah 2
COMMENTARY:
: 5 Thus says the LORD, What iniquity have your fathers found in ME, that they are gone far from ME, and have walked after vanity, and are become vain? (1891 “vain” [habal] means to talk of nothing, to make void, carry on what is empty, delude, or to be or become empty or meaningless or futile or absurd.)
DEVOTION: Have you ever been blamed for something that you didn’t do? This is what people do when they don’t want to take responsibility for their own actions. We find that someone says they told us something and they really didn’t and then say they did. Life can get interesting when people play the blame game and never take responsibility for their own actions.
Here we have the children of Israel blaming God for all their problems. The LORD asks a question of the children of Israel. HE knows the answer to the question but they have a different answer.
Remember God is HOLY and NEVER SINS or causes anyone to sin. We sin because we are sinners. We need a Savior and forgiveness for our sins which only God can provide if we come to HIM in genuine repentance and ask HIM to forgive and restore us to a proper relationship with HIM.
Our first time of repentance will be to become a follower of HIM. All of the next times will be for restoration of fellowship with HIM. HE sent HIS SON Jesus Christ to die on the cross for our sins. Once we trust in HIM, we join the family of God.
Just like any family there are times when there are problems. It is never on the part of God but on our part. If we don’t ask for forgiveness by confessing our sins then our fellowship with HIM is broken and if we wait too long to confess, HE will send chastening our way to bring us back to HIM. HE doesn’t want us far from HIM at any time.
The children of Israel were always wandering away from the LORD to the point they were worshiping false gods on a regular basis. HE had to chasten them to bring them back to HIM with proper actions.
Here the question needs an answer. Do we blame God for our problems? Are we walking in the wrong direction today? Do we think God is the problem? Sometimes the children of Israel thought HE was the problem because they didn’t want to admit their sins and come back to HIM.
CHALLENGE: Do we find ourselves acting like the children of Israel? If so, what do we do? Confession is necessary for a proper walk with the LORD. Is our conversation void of understanding?
: 8 The priests said not, Where is the LORD? And they that handle the law knew me not: the pastors, also transgressed against me, and the prophets prophesied by Baal, and walked after things that do not profit. (8610 “handle” [taphas] means to manipulate, be an expert or skilled, control, deal with, seize, arrest, capture, wield, to overlay, catch, or to take of.)
DEVOTION: The start of the ministry of Jeremiah was not easy. His first message was one of condemnation of Judah. Judah started out holy. However, they proved Psalm 1: 1 true. They walked in the way of sin. They then stood with other nations instead of asking God for help. Finally, they sat in sin. They were surrounded by sin. Their three groups of leaders were not leading them toward God but away from HIM.
This verse starts with the first group: the priests. They were the ones who were to be experts in the law of the LORD. They were individuals who were supposed to be close to the LORD. They were to take hold of the law first in their life and then set the example for the rest of the people. They were to offer the sacrifices to the LORD. This verse says that: “they knew ME not.” They didn’t even know the LORD. How could they teach others correctly?
The second group: pastors. This is the political leaders of the day. First it was the judges and then the kings. They were not following the LORD. They were looking in other directions for help. They thought they didn’t need God. Their false gods were fine until they got into trouble and then they tried to call on the LORD. HE told them to go to their false gods for help.
The third group: prophets. Jeremiah was a prophet. They were to warn people about the coming judgment if they didn’t return to the LORD. Jeremiah was carrying this message to the people. The other prophets were not. In fact, they were telling the people to worship Baal, which was a fertility god. They were leading them in the wrong direction.
Today we can have individuals who are supposed to lead us right, leading us in the wrong direction. Only those who preach the Word of God faithfully are to be followed. Only those who believe in the inerrancy of the Word of God are teaching the truth. The Bible IS the Word of God. Are we listening to the right message each week? Do we know what the right message sounds like?
CHALLENGE: Learn what the Word of God teaches. Handle it faithfully. Explain it to those who will listen.
: 13 For MY people have committed two evils: they have forsaken ME the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water. (5800 “forsaken” [‘azab] means to leave, to refuse to accept or acknowledge something, conceived of as leaving it behind or forsaking it, loose, abandon, release, or apostatize.)
DEVOTION: Here we find that the LORD is talking to HIS people that HE has protected and provided for many years.
They have entered the Promised Land and observed all the land had to offer and thought they didn’t need the LORD to help them take advantage of the land and so they decided to just forget the LORD and enjoy all the blessings of the land without being thankful to HIM for HIS provision.
So the LORD confronted the children of Israel with the facts that they were not living according to HIS standards and because of that HE was going to take steps to show them that they were going in wrong direction.
Too often when we or the children of Israel experienced the blessings of the LORD we tend to think that we have done it all on our own. This is happening today even here in a America. We think that we have done all that we have in our own strength instead of acknowledging the LORD for blessing our nation.
Israel was heading in a wrong direction and Jeremiah was trying to warn them to stop what they were doing before all the blessings they were experiencing was taken away by the LORD.
But like today, the people were not listening to the LORD because they had fooled themselves into thinking that it was them instead of God that was providing all the blessings.
Too often we can develop and attitude that we don’t need God because things are going well and we think it is because of our abilities that have given us all the wealth that we have but we forget it was the LORD who gave us the abilities and provisions to live the way we presently are.
CHALLENGE: It is sad that we can’t learn from the sins of the past and repent and turn back to the LORD for blessings instead of judgment. Israel faced the LORD’S judgment because of their neglect of HIM and we are experiencing it too.
: 19 YOUR own wickedness shall correct you, and your backslidings shall reprove you: know therefore and see that it is an evil thing and bitter, that you have forsaken the LORD your God, and that my fear is not in you, says the Lord GOD of hosts. (5800 “forsaken” [azab] means leave behind, loose, to depart from, abandon, neglect, apostatize, or neglect.)
DEVOTION: This message from the LORD was very negative. Jeremiah came to the children of Israel when they were headed in the wrong direction. It is hard to stop someone who is headed in the wrong direction and liking it.
The children of Israel liked where they were in their religious life. They had a little of the LORD and a lot of the fertility god of the other nation, Baal. They wanted to do their own thing their own way without any restrictions.
The LORD informs us that those HE loves HE chastens to show HIS love. The children of Israel didn’t want any correction. They didn’t feel they were going in the wrong direction. They didn’t realize that they were backsliding toward an eternity in hell. They didn’t want the LORD to confront them or anyone else.
Jeremiah had a tough job. He was trying to confront a people who didn’t want to listen. He was giving the LORD’S instructions to them for them to correct their ways.
The children of Israel were leaving the LORD behind. They had outgrown the LORD. They didn’t need HIM anymore. Does that sound like the times we are living in?
Many in our nation think that belief in the Bible is old fashioned. They don’t think that Christians should judge others actions as wrong. In fact, we have Christians who feel that marriage between two men or two women is wrong and will not allow them to stay in their bed and breakfast or take pictures at their weddings and our courts are telling these individuals that they have no right to keep such a standard in their life or business.
Our world is heading in the wrong direction like the children of Israel. The LORD has sent messengers to tell them they are wrong but they will not listen. They think that they have outgrown the God of the Bible. HIS commands are no longer in affect.
CHALLENGE: We have to talk to those who will listen to inform them that they are wrong and judgment is coming. If they listen great, if they don’t it is sad but we have given a warning as the LORD commands.
DONATIONS:
Remember that all donations to Small Church Ministries are greatly appreciated. The treasurer will send a receipt, at the end of the year unless otherwise requested. Please be sure to make check out to “Small Church Ministries.” The address for the treasurer is P.O. Box 604, East Amherst, New York 14051. A second way to give to the ministry is through PayPal on the website: www.smallchurchministries.org. Also, if you can support this ministry through your local church please use that method. Thank you.
Visit our Facebook page for Small Church Ministries – please invite others to join us on Facebook. Thank you. Look for the logo from the devotionals.